Ep. 23: Mary Had a Little Loan: A Mother’s Day Reflection

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re taking a closer ​look at the​​ ​​role of credit access in unlocking economic mobility for women. ​Women contribute an estimated​​ $8 trillion USD of global GDP through unpaid labor—nearly three times more than men—yet they still face a staggering $1.7 trillion gap in access to credit.  

In this episode, we speak with Lucia Villar, SVP of Product Management at PayJoy, about this gap. PayJoy is turning mobile phones into credit lifelines, using them as collateral to expand credit access. We’ll explore how PayJoy designs its pricing strategies to balance social good with sustainable business operations, why transparent pricing and a no-interest penalty model is good for business; and the ripple effects of digital credit on labor force participation and household resilience. 

As we celebrate mothers around the world, this conversation challenges us to rethink who gets access to financial tools—and why it matters.